ovation
by itsspelledgrammar
Summary: Neji and Hinata, meeting and passing in hallways...


****

ovation

****

introduction: **NejiHina, because NejiHina is eating my brain. Regardless of how stupid this idea is I need to write it and get it out of my head. This is set the day that Neji becomes a jounin, and I'm making him … eighteen, because it's my beta's lucky number. That fact is just as random as the fic. **

***

Neji and Hinata pass each other in the halls, and customarily they don't speak. Sometimes Hinata will blush and stammer a hello and Neji will nod in response, but when they pass in the corridor leading to the baths neither utters a word, and they keep their heads focussed on the towels clutched in their hands. One wet, one dry. Hinata feels awkward, especially if they are both heading in the same direction.

The afternoon is ebbing into evening, but it is well after seven o'clock before Neji notices the lights dimming quickly, and peppered clouds appearing framed in the window. The baths are heated, so it is difficult to judge time accurately without ruining a watch. There isn't even a clock on the wall, but he supposes that is sensible, since it too would be ruined by the steam. With a sigh he stands.

Neji raises himself from the bath, strong hands pushing against the tiles and lifting easily. The droplets of water are flung from his foot back into the pool, and he grabs his towel and wraps it around himself slowly. Several clicks sound in succession to his left, and his gaze turns automatically to greet the opening door when he hears it. He's not surprised to see Hinata wander in -- dry white towel grasped tightly around her -- and blush furiously when she notices he's there.

They always pass each other, but this has not happened before. Neji doesn't move, and stubbornly tells himself he has every right to be here. For a moment Hinata won't look at him, and Neji won't look anywhere but her. After several minutes the steam in the room makes her hair damp and it sticks to her forehead. 

Hinata is uneasy, and she stands like an ornament because she has no idea what to do. The skylight opens to the murky evening sky, so she seizes the opportunity to occupy herself with finding the light-switch. She cringes at her noticeable attempt at distraction and carefully transfers both of the bundles of cloth at her side into one hand so that she can operate the button and remain covered. The pale glow casts curls of light that twist tortuously over the water like the clenching in her stomach. 

"Congratulations, Neji," she says, forcing a smile onto her face and using the words as a diversion. She wants to say that her father is proud of him, even if he hasn't said it, but the words won't come because the curl in her stomach has moved to her throat and her breath is coming in shallow puffs. Neji frowns and nods quickly, the movement only perceptible because she sees him perform it so frequently. It's how he says everything. She wishes he'd speak.

He tucks in the corner of his towel. Double layers of towel draw her attention to his hip. The water on his legs is drying comfortably in the warm air, and he's quite content to stand there until Hinata moves from the doorway. He is surprised that she hasn't begun to squirm yet; under his scrutiny she quakes, and this is worse. They're both naked except for white towels and she has not once let her hands stray to twist around each –

Neji smiles derisively at himself. Of course she hasn't moved her hands. They're all that is keeping the towel up. When she sees him smile Hinata's eyes widen, but he doesn't speak and dispel the misplaced fear that's building in her. He moves towards her slowly. He's heard the rumours. Secretly glad that his hair is splayed in stringy tails around his face so that she won't immediately notice his byakugan, he activates it and moves it eyes slowly down and settles on her abdomen.

It's tiny: scarcely perceptible. Like the fear in her eyes when she notices his.

Hinata drops into the best defensive stance she can manage to whilst keeping the towel around herself. She curses herself for not paying more attention to his eyes; she was watching the movement of his body and trying to interpret a reason for his advance towards her without noting the obvious. The extended hand that almost touches him is shaking.

"I see congratulations are also in order, Hinata-sama," he says. When he says this, his expression is unreadable. Hinata looks at his eyes this time, but she's sure that she's not looking in the right place to gain understanding of his frown. 

He takes her quivering hand in his own and places it on her abdomen. Hinata's gasp is much louder than she would have intended, had she intended to make a sound at all. She nervously imagines it echoing around the room, and tries not to think of the warm hand on hers. Neji nods and she looks shocked, but she visibly calms when he the frown fades and she realizes that he is not a threat. His eyes are drawn back to the spot he was observing before, and he traces the lines of her inner coils around it, and the tiny spirals placed apart from the rest. 

Hinata swallows. They stand there for several minutes, still and quiet. Neji is concentrating, and Hinata doesn't need to see the veins around his eyes to be able to pick it out in his expression. She wishes that he'd speak again, say something about what he sees and feels about it, but he just stands holding her hand with his eye narrowed in deliberation. Eventually the skin around his eyes smoothes off and he abandons his thoughts. Hinata feels his hand move away and she barely holds in the urge to follow the limb with her own. He nods at her before he leaves, and she doesn't answer it with one of her own. 

Hello, yes, thank you, goodbye.

****

***

a/n: I have no idea whether I'm happy with this or not, plus there's obviously back-story that I haven't really elaborated on, but it wouldn't have fit to have exposition in there. It actually started off as an art idea, but I'm better at writing (fear for the art world, people) and wanted to do my best to convey the scene. This is my first foray with het, the pairing, and characterization of both of the characters involved, but I enjoyed writing it… and it's teasing me into writing more. Damn Hyuugacest. Oh, and Microsoft Word thinks Hinata's name should be Piñata. This amuses me quite a bit. 


End file.
